Attack on Odisha cinestar: Supari killers’ involvement suspected

Police is yet to make any breakthrough in its investigations into the firing by unidentified gunman on senior Ollywood actor and lawyer Shantiswarup Mishra and his friend inside his house in Budharaja in Odisha’s Sambalpur city in which Mishra and his friend were critically injured.

While police is yet to get hold of any solid clue on the motive behind the attack and the identity of the assailant, it suspects the attacker to be a professional sharp shooter.

Video footage obtained from the CCTV located in front of Mishra’s residence is rather hazy, adding to the worries of the police.

Still, police is trying to extract as much clue as it can from the footage. A special team has been formed to investigate the attack on the senior actor has conducted raids at several locations to nab the culprit. Police has pinned its hopes on Mishra’s statement and hopes it will unravel the mystery behind the attack.

“On availability of correct information the culprit will be arrested very soon,” said Sushil Kumar Panigrahi, additional SP, Sambalpur.

Police has recovered three empty cartridges from the site of the attack. The empty cartridges and other ballistic data suggest that the miscreant fired on Mishra and his friend Nityaranjan Patnaik form a sophisticated 7.65 mm bore Mauzer from a distance of 8-9 feet. Two bullets had hit Mishra on his neck and chest.

A jerk is felt by the shooter after firing a shot from a Mauzer. Given that the two shots fired at Shat=ntiswarup hit him at two spots which are very close to each other, it looks like the handiwork of a professional sharp shooter, police sources said.

It’s suspected that supari (hired) killers could have fired at Mishra.

Meanwhile, Mishra, who was shifted to SCB Medical College & Hospital at Cuttack, is recovering from his injuries after the bullet that had got stuck in his chest was removed successfully by the doctors on Friday. His family members said his health condition was improving.